Spiritual Life

A letter explaining plans to build a new Baptist Church on Main Street in Fries, Va.

A page from a mill ledger recording employee contributions to the Baptist Church in Fries, which they could have deducted from their paychecks.

A page from a mill ledger recording employee contributions to the Methodist Church in Fries, which they could have deducted from their paychecks.

A photograph of several people in front of the sign for the Fries Methodist Church, which says "Jesus! Zero Defects".

The Methodist and Baptist churches in town were built by the mill to serve the employees and their families, and records indicate that there was still a close connection between the mill and the religious center of the town for many years.